Detachable transmission construction



DORSAY McCALL WHITE.

DETACHABLE TRANSMISSION CONSTRUCTIVON. APPLICATION man 11111.10, 19'20.

A TTORNEYS.

DORSAY MQCALL WHITE, OF 1NZDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, `ASSIGNOEL TO LA FAYETTE i .MOTORS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE. M

DETACHABLE TRANSMISSION OONSTRUCTION.V

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NQV. 15, 1921i.

Application led January 10, 1920. Serial No. 350,527.

To all whom t may Gomera.'

Be it known vthat l, DOnsAY MGCALL l/VHITE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, a resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, `and Stateof Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Detachable Transmission Construction; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, referencebeing had .to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

The chief object of this invention is to provide in a motor vehicle 'and the like a detachable connection between the universal joint and the driving shaft, and detachably secure adjacent and related parts so that ready access may be had to the transmission mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to detachably secure the torque tube to the transmission case so that the tube and shaft may be dropped when it is desired to remove the universal joint.

@ne feature of the invention is in including the universal joint within the transmission casing and 'inclosing the joint within a ball and socket construction secured to the transmission casing.

Another feature of the invention is the construction of the several parts heretofore mentioned so that the same may be readily assembled or disassembled.

The full nature of the invention will be understood `from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims. y

In the drawings Figure 1 is a centralsectional view of the invention showing the parts in assembled relation. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing some of the parts unassembled.

ln the drawings there is shown a transmission casing 10 provided with a housing 11 suitably secured thereto by means of bolts 12 or the like, said housing and casing inclosing and supporting a universal joint comprising a yoke13, ayoke 14 and ring or bushing 15. lThe yoke 14 of the universal joint is detachably secured to the driving shaft 16, the same being surrounded by a torque tube 17, the latter being supported by the housing 1l andl detachable therefrom in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Theuniversal joint is mounted within the housing 11 in the following manner. An

.an angularly formed locking inclosing ball member 18 is provided with an opening 19 through which the yoke 14 extends. The ball is rigidly mounted within 4the housing11 by having at one end an outwardly extending Hanged portion 20, the saine being seatable in a recess 21 and clamped therein by said housing, when the latter is secured to the transmission casing. An annular flange 22 is formed adjacent the flange 20 and vabuts against said housing in the manner shown, sothat said ball `is rigidly'mounted and centered within said housing. A complementarily `forrned ball socket 23 incloses said ball member and is provided with an opening 24, the same registering with the opening 19 formed in the ball member, and through which the yoke 14 extends. An annular inwardly extending flange 25 surrounds said opening 24 to provide a bearing, the same rotatably supporting a sleeve 26.4

The socket member is pivotally supported within said housing 11 in the following manner. The housing 1,1 isprovided with an annular threaded opening 27 in which a ball bearing or ring 28 may be secured. A central threaded opening 29 is formed ,concentric with the threaded exterior of the ball ring, and'in the same is secured an annular nut or packing ring 30, said nut or ring being secured against rotation by means of pin 31, the same being suitably secured to the housingV 11, as by means of a lock washer 32 and bolt B3. The packing 34 and 35. is secured between the housing 11 and the ball bearing 28 and ball bearing and `packing ring or nut 30 respectively. By this means the socket member is pivotally mounted within the housing 11.

Extending outwardly from said housing, y

herein shown formed integral with the socket member 28, is a cylindrical portion 36, ,the same being concentric with the Shaft or handle portion of the yoke 14 and suitably spaced therefrom. In the outer end of said cylindrical extension there is formed an annular seat or recess 37 and adjacent thereto is an outwardly extending annular flange 38, the same being provided with openings `39 in which are secured suitable bolts or screw members 40. The torque tube 17 is provided with a restricted portion 41 provided with an annular seat 42, said seat coperating with the interior wall of the cylindrical extension 36. Upon the end of portion l41 is formedl the annularportion 43, the same being seat able in the annularV recess 37.. Adjacent said i annular ,projection 43 is an annular `flange portion 44, the same being provided Ywith openingsV 45 adapted =to `register withthe openings 39,as shown. The bolts 40 extend through said openings 45 and secure the torque tube to the socket member by means of nuts 46. When said tube and socket member is inassembled relation to the annular recess or'seat 42,'the interior of said cylindrical extension 36 and the bearing25 form a packing chamber 47, the same being Vadapted to receive the packing 48. `The packing isheld in position against the bearing by means of a washer 49 and a coil spring' 50, the latter being seatable between said washer and the seat 42. Y

The means for detachablyV securing said yoke and driving shaft with a driving con iiection comprises the'sleeve 26, `the same being provided upon Vits interior with splining slots 51.fThe driving shaft16 is reduced at 52. The yoke shaft and, portion 52 are provided upon .their exteriors with complementarily formed splines, the Vsame being seatable lin the splining slots 51 formed in the sleeve 26, said sleeve being slidable upon said driving shaft and said yoke, as shown in the drawings, In the drawingsthe driving shaft is shown with thesplines'extending a Vconsiderable distance so that said sleeveV may be restricted over said yoke-and seated upon said driving shaft independently of said yoke, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Means for securing said sleeve against longitudinal movement upon .said driving shaft and y said yoke, when the same arev in Yassembled relation, comprises a tapered locking pin 54, the same being provided with a head portion 55l and a threaded stem portion 56. The sleeve 26 is herein shown provided Y with a pair of registering openings 57 and 5S,

theVV former being adapted to coperate with' the head portion 55fand the latter with the threaded stem Vportion 56 respectively. The

vhead55 locks the sleeve against longitudinal lmovement upon said splined shafts; lThrough said slot 58, and upon said stein 56, is secured a locking washer 59 and locking nut 60, lthe `same asshown being within the exterior periphery of thesleeve 26, said tapered pin being secured in the tapered vslot 61 formed in the yoke 14 as shown. -With this construction no portion of said tapered pin, nut or washer extends beyond the'exterior periphery of the splined` sleeve 26 so that the same may rotate without Vinterference within said ,torquey tubeand` said socket member. f Y

In operation the nuts 46 are removed from Y the bolts 40 which 4permits Vthe, axle and torque tube to be shackled back far enough sothat access may bei had to thenut 60,

whereby the tapered pin 54 may be removed. lVhenv said pin is removed the sleeve 26 is slid longitudinallvuponthe .driving shaft and out'of engagement with the yoke 14, as shown in Fig. 2, said drive shaft and torque tube beingthusseparated; from the transmissionand the universal mechanism.V When the bolts 12 areremoved, the housing and all associated parts carried thereby may also be removed and 'theuniversal joint exposed for repairs, adjustmentor removal as `de sired.l From the foregoing it will 4alsobe understood vthe tension between the ball and socket members may beadjusted by Vmeans of the ball bearing or ring'28 andthe packvineV ring or nut 35 in the manner described.

position shown in Fig. 2, a screw driver oi"V other tool may be inserted throughthe opening 62vaiid engage the rear end ofthe sleeve 2 6. `Said tool then is used as a lever Vto force' said sleeve forwardly as far as possible. ing 163 and projected forwardly the remainder of the distance until the sleeve is in the position shown in Fig. 1. The tapered bolt "is then inserted in the tapered slot and secured therein in the mannerY described, thus locking the yoke and driving shaft Vtogether so that power transmitted to the former will be transmitted to the latter. The cover 64 is then replaced Vover the opening 62 and 63 respectively to prevent dirt or the like Vfrom entering the ltorque tube. The torque tube during the previous operation has remained in the positionshown in Fig. 2, but is now positioned as shown in Fig. 1after the packing 48, washer49 and spring V50 have been inserted in the packing chamber 47 surrounding saidsleeve and adjacent the bearing 25. The torqueV tube is then secured to theA socketfinember by the nuts 46 and lock washers, as shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the universal joint is housed within the .transmission casing. It is readily accessibleV andmay be removed therefrom, since Vthe universal joint andthe drivingshaft' have a detachable driving connection andlsaid Vhousing is detacliably and pivotally Vconnected with said torque tube through the socket member of the ball and socket housing of said universal joint. It will also be understood that wear between the ball The tool isthen inserted in lthe openv se iioV

and socket members may be taken up in the manner described, as shovvn in F ig. l, said ball and socket members forming an inclosed chamber in which the universal joint oper ates, this chamber being adapted to contain any suitable lubricant or the like.

While the invention has been described in great detail in the foregoing specification it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereby, as many modifications thereof Vwill suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

rlhe invention claimed is:

l. A transmission construction including in combination two adjacent and alining shafts having similarly splined ends, a sleeve having splined slots therein, said sleeve being slidable longitudinally on said shafts, said sleeve having a pair of openings on opposite sides thereof, one of said shafts having an opening extending trans-V versely of said shaft and therethrough, said opening being adapted to register with the openings in said sleeve, a pin insertible in said opening, said pin having a head portion adapted to engage in one of said sleeve openings to secure the-sleeve against sliding movement on said shafts, and means operable through the other sleeve opening for securing said pin in said shaft opening.

2. A transmission device including in combination a pair of splined shafts, a splined sleeve slidable thereon, one of said shafts having a tapered opening extending therethrough and registering With a pair of openings in the sleeve, a tapered pin insertible through one of said openings, means operable through the other opening for securing said pin and Wedging the same in the tapered opening to lock said sleeve against sliding movement on said' shafts,

said locking means and said pin extending transversely of said sleeve and being of less length than the exterior diameter of said sleeve and tube surrounding said sleeve.

3. A detachable driving unit for motor vehicles, including a universal joint through which power is transmitted, a housing for said joint, a stub shaft connected with said joint and extending through said housing, a driving shaft in alinement With said stub shaft, a non-rotatable sleeve slidably mounted on the ends of said shaft for removably connecting them together, means on said driving' shaft for permitting said sleeve to slide thereon out of engagement with said stub shaft, and a torque tube inclosing said drive shaft'adapted to be removably connected directly to said housing, said tube having openings therein for permitting access to said sleeve whereby it may be moved to connecting or disconnecting position on said drive shaft.

ln Witness whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

D. MGGALL WHlTE. 

